What makes a better veggie burger? Using the right binder is a great place to start. Vegan versions — whether they’re made from black beans, grains or other meat-free ingredients — are missing the sticky egg that keeps everything from crumbling apart during cooking. Instead of an animal product, this recipe calls for a healthy gel made with white chia seeds. It holds together the mixture of hearty chickpeas, tender lentils and shredded carrot (spiced just right with cumin, turmeric and garlic) for a plump patty that turns out perfectly crisp on the outside and moist in the middle when broiled.
Lentil & Chickpea Patties
Makes 6 patties
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups dried chickpeas or 1 BPA-free can chickpeas
1-1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed
1 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 Tbsp. white chia seeds + 3 Tbsp. water
1 carrot, finely grated (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. each cumin, garlic powder, turmeric (or favorite spices)
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown rice bread crumbs
Optional fixings
Shredded lettuce or gluten free bun
Avocado slices
Ketchup
Mustard
Directions
- To prepare chickpeas, soak overnight in a large bowl, covered. The next day (or 8 hours later), drain and rinse chickpeas well, removing any damaged beans or excess skin floating in the water.
- In medium-sized pot, combine chickpeas with enough water to cover chickpeas by one inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1-1/2 hours. When cooked, stir in ½ tsp. of salt.
- To make lentils, add to pot with 2 cups of water and cook for 20 minutes. When cooked, stir in ½ tsp. salt.
- Set aside chickpeas and lentils to cool.
- To make patties, combine 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 1-1/2 cups cooked lentils, shredded carrot, spices and chia seeds in food processer; pulse to combine. (Note: If mixture is too moist, add 1/3 to ½ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs).
- Measure ½ cup of mixture for each patty; shape mixture into patties with hands and place on baking sheet.
- Broil patties for 5 minutes; flip and broil for an additional 5 minutes. (Patties will be crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.) Tip: To keep patties from sticking to the baking sheet, dust with gluten-free breadcrumbs before broiling.
- Serve patties on a gluten-free bun with avocado slices and your favorite burger toppings.
Nutrition info (1 patty): 120 calories, 2 grams fat; 19 carbs, 7 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 7 grams protein